Rotary engine.



H. L. wien.

ROTARY ENGINE. AP'PLlcATlo'N FILED MAY Il. |911.

1,298,839. Patented Apr. 1,1919A 4 SHEETS-SHEET I'.

(g1/10c "hoz Han/am Waag d7- Grammy H. L. WEED.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1|. |911.V

Patented Apr. 1,1919

f1/unido@ .Weed

MQ n@ '4 supers-SHEET 2.

Han/am H. L. WEED.

v ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICAIIQN ruin MAY 11. 1917.

1,298,839-, Patented 1,1919.h

4 SHEET EET 3.

H. L. WEED.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLJCATION nLgQVMAY n. 19u.

1,298;839, Patented Apr. 1,1919.

au 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

3141.112 ni'oz v the invention, the pistons livery of fresh gas to the spark plug.

HOWARD L.' WED, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed May 11, 1917. Serial No. 167,993.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HOWARD L. Wann, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofA Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification:v l f The present invention has reference to an internal combustion engine of the rotary-aly ternating piston type, and among its 1mportantfeatures are the following :-a gearless mechanism for transmitting the driving force from the pistonsl to the engine shaft; improvedv ineans for sealing the joint vbetween the rotors and the cylinders; improvements in the means for sealing the joint between a given piston and the rotor in respect to 4which it has movement; improvements in the lubricatingsystem; improvements in the cooling system; means for insuring an yintroduction of fresh gas between explosions; an improved piston construction; and certain other features shown, described and claimed.

Certain features of the engine shown and described herein are -claimed in my appli-- cation for United States Letters Patent Serial Number 49,153, filed September 4 7th, 1915.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa vertical section through a prefe red embodiment of being substantially at mid-stroke. Fig. 2 1s a horizontal section corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central transverse section, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged radial section showing av preferred packing Abetween a rotor and the cylinder. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary radial section through a piston ring, showing the sealing, of the joint be tween the piston and the adjacent rotor.

'Figs 7 and 8 are side and edge views, re-

spectively, of the friction reducing disk between the rotors. Figs. 9 and 10 are side and edge views, respectively, of the oilpumping ily wheel. ig. 11 is a longitudinal section of one of the bushings which is interposed between the fly wheel and the roller shafts. Figs. 12 and 13 are detail views showing the means for insuring aFde- 1g. 14 is a central longitudinal section through one of the rotors. looking from the left in Fig. 14. Figs. 16,

to the spark lplug Fig. 15 is a side v1ew 17 and 18 are detail views showing the manner of sealingthe space between the ends of the piston rings and the adjacent rotors.

In the embodiment of the vinvention shown, the casing is formed in two sections 1 and 2 having bearings 3 and glands 4 for the main engine shaft 5, that may be held from lon- -gitudinal movement by the collar 6 and clutch member 8. The casing sections in-v clude the substantially annular opposed portions 9 (which forman annular cylinder) bolted together along their marginal flanges 10. As best yindicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4,

the sections are each provided with an annular chamber 12 to which cooling water is admitted atthe top through a pipe 13 and from which it passes atthe bottom as indicated by the arrow (Fig. 1) 'into a second annular chamber 15 that conforms to the wall of the corresponding half-cylinder; the hot water iinal'ly escapes at the top into the pipes 16 which lead to a -circulating pump (not shown).

Panier transmitting @amica-Mounted upon inner bearings 20 andv outer bearings 21 carried by the shaft 5 are rotors each of which, as best shown in Figs. 14 and 15,4

preferably comprises an inner barrel 22 and i an outer barrel 23 joined by the web 24.

has rigid therewith piston The outer barrel blocksf25 spaced 180 apart, and the webs 24 are slotted at 26 transversely of the line joining the centers of the blocks. At points at right angles to said line, the barrels are connected by walls 28-29 which form radial pockets or slots 30. j Interposed between the adjacent ends of the rotors and rigid with the shaft 5 is a counter shaft carrier34 (Figs. 9 and 10) having its end faces recessed at 35 to receive the corresponding bearing 20 and the end of the corresponding inner barrel 22. For

the purpose of receiving the bushings 36, the counter shaft carrier is provided with perforatio'ns 38 9()o apart; the lbushings are pressed into the carrier up to the shoulders 39 and their enlarged ends 40. alternately project in opposite directions.

The bushings 36 have p-assing therethrough and mounted on bearings 45 therein planetary counter shafts 46 that may be prevented from moving longitudinally by screws 48. hasla crank vformed with inner and outer cylindrical portions 49 and 50 (preferably At one end each counter shaft.

. and 52.

messes arranged. The rollers 51 bear on the outer relatively deep elliptical track or wall 53 and the rollers 52 bear on the relatively shallow elliptical track or wall 54, the

tracks, in the present embodiment of the invention, being formed on a track member 55 bolted at 56'to the end wall of the corresponding casing section although they might be integral therewith. The opposite ends of v the counter shafts are provided with cranks of greater lengths or eccentricities than those described above, said cranks also being provided with inner and outer cylindrical portions 60 and 6l (preferably of rel`- atively larger and smaller diameters, res ectively) carrying larger and smaller rol ers 62 and 63. The rollers 62 travel on the walls 28 while the roll'ers 63 travel on the walls 29, it being understood that these walls are arranged at different distances from the radial plane to which they are parallel to correspond to the difference in the radii of the rollers 62 and 63. By the described relation of rollers 51-52 and tracks 53-54 and thesimilar relation of rollers 62-63 and tracks 21S- 29, a close rolling engagement m-ay be maintained at all times without being subjected to the shocks that might arise were a single roller used in each case.

, When the pistons of the one rotor stand at 90 to those of the other, the slots 26 in each rotor are opposite the slots 3() in the other, and the lengths of the slots 26 is such that the necessary relative angular movements of the rotors in the compression and expansion of the gas is allowed.

The power from the forward impulse of a given piston is transmitted through the wally of its slot 3() to the crank 60e-61;` and at the Sametime the re-action from the following piston is transmitted through the wall o-f its slot 30l to the corresponding crank G0-6l. The tendency is -therefore to thrust the forward crank -60-61 forwardly and the rearward crank 60-61 rearwardly. But (Fig. 2) the leverage of the forward (left hand, in the position shown) rotor about the corresponding crank 60--61 is greater than that of the rearward (right hand) rotor' about the crank 60-61 upon which it acts the maximum difference in the -lever arms atthe middle of the stroke-the position shown in Figs. l1 and 2-being twice the length of the crank arm. Consequently the net tendency, provided the counter shafts are not capable of rotating freely, is to turn the counter shaft carrier and the main shaft forwardly. The rotation of the counter shafts is controlled by the travel of the rollers 51-52 in the elliptical grooves formed by the walls 53-54, which cause the countershafts to each make two complete revolutions for each revolution of the main shaft but in the opposite direction;v and the rotation of the countershafts, acting through the cranks 60-61 imposes upon the moving rotors a relative angular speed of such nature that the successive pistons are alternately brought near together and farther apart in the cylinder.`

In other words, although both rotors are always moving forwardly, the speed of a given rotor rises from a minimum to a maximum and then decreases to a minimum during the time that the speed of the other rotor decreases from a maximum to a minimum and thereafter rises again to a maximum.

The intake for the fresh gas is indicated at (Fig. 3), the main exhaust passage at 71, and a scavenging passage at 7 3-tl1e spark plugs 74 (F ig. 2) are substantially diametrically opposite. The movement of the rotors is clockwise looking from the right in Figs. 1 and 2. Therefore in Fig. 3 the space 74 is filled with fresh uncompressed gas, t-he space 75 with gas that has just been compressed and ignited, the space 76, with fully expanded burned gases which are escaping through the passage 71, while such residual burned gases (from the previous charge) as may haveremained in the space 78 are being sucked out through the passage 73 by the current from the passage 71 into the main exhaust pipe 79. The repetition ofthe cycle between each two successive pistons will be readily understood-there are, of course, four explosions for each turn of the engine'shaft. v

Joint sealing features. -The preferred manner of sealing the joints between the rotors and the cylinder wall is best indicated in Fig. 5. Each, cylinder wall or casing section is shaped to form an annular pocket (one wall 81 of which flares outwardly) opening toward the adjacent rotor, and received in the pockets are packing ring carriers each of which includes a. base 82, an inner fiange 83, an outer flange 84 and an intermediate flange 85. Between the flanges 83 and 85 is received a resilient packing ring 88 one end of which is grooved for a short distance to. receive a tongue 90 l venting leakage of gas around the ring carrier.

Piston construction-The piston blocks 25 (Figs. 3, 6, 14 and 15) are recessed in their front faces to receive the hubs 100 of the piston heads 101 which are held in said recesses by keys 102 (Fig. 3). The piston heads therefore present flat surfaces upon which the pressure of the gases is applied, thereby avoiding the accumulation of carbon. The piston blocks are grooved at 103 in alinement With the opening into the scavenging passage 73, and the inner faces of the heads may be provided with annular grooves 104 into which fins' 105 may project to form increased cooling surfaces. he blocks may also be grooved at 106 on opposite sides in communication with the grooves 104 and 103 and in alinement with the holes 108 (Figs. 2 and 3) in the cylinder. Consequently as soon as the grooves -106 come into registration with the holes 108, the eX- haust current of gases in the pipe 71, by virtue of the passage 73, draws fresh air in through the piston and tends to cool the latter. A

Piston sealing, (Figs. 1, 3, 6, 16, 17 and 18.)-Each of the piston heads has a ring 120 the ends of which are spaced apart somewhat, and bear loosely upon the inclined faces 121 and 122 of the sealing members 123 and 124 which correspond in width to the slots for the piston rings. These members also have faces 125 and 126 that bear upon the outer edges of the rotors, and they are further. provided withinclined surfaces arranged in a common plane, as indicated at 128, lwhereby when the members 123 are forced toward the members 124 they are spread apart longitudinally of the engine and held in sealing engagement with the cylinder walls. The piston blocks have longitudinal grooves in which are single resilient bars 126, whereby both members 123 for a given piston are constantly pressed against 'the members 124 on .the inclined bearing surfaces 128 and whereby the faces 125 and 126 are held inv close contact with the outer edges of the rotors andthe inter-- vening mem er 140. A

.Spark plug features, (Figs. 2, 3, 12 and 13.)-The spark plugs are screwed into bosses 130 to spark in the chambers 131 that communicate through passages 132 with pockets 133 closed by plugs 134. The entrance from the cylinder to the chambers 131' is through the small openings 135 and the larger' opening 136 the latter (Fig. 3) being forwardly o f the former. vAs the compressed charge of fresh gas is swept past the openings 135 and 136 the impure gases which may then surround the electrodes are forced back into the pockets 133 thus bringing thelspark into contactwith the pure combustible mlxture. The high pressure then resulting in the pocket and firing chamber is shortly afterward allowed to gradually escape into the space behind the leading piston ring in the following pistonblock, first through the holes 135 and very shortly afterward also through the larger theouter barrel of a given rotor and the casing and works out through radial -grooves 141 into circumferentialygrooves 141 (Fig. 6) to the passages 142 and circumferential grooves 142', allof which provide cooling -area for the packing devices, rotors and the ring 140. Radial grooves 143 lead inwardly from the circumferential grooves 142 to the spaces between the base of the ring 140 and the inner faces of the outer barrels which run close to the outer surface of the countershaft carrier. The last mentioned member (Figs. 9 and' 10) has passages 145 (the peripheral openings 146 being wider than the base of the ring 140) that lead backwardly (with reference to the direction of rotation) and inwardly, and then divide and spread outwardly finally intersecting the end faces in the openings 148. As the counter shaft carrier rotates, openings 146 and delivered through the openings 148 thus creating a suicient suction to insure a continuous flow, said suction'A also producing a better, and closer sealing engagement of the rotors with the ri-ng'140 and claims.

I claim 1. A rotary engine comprising a casing, 'a" main shaft mounted therein,

said casing annular cylinder, a pair. of

including an the shaft, each of the' rotors rotors loose on oil is caught in the do not, therefore, wish to bev limited except as indicated by the subjoined 125 including a pair of pistons arranged to travel in the cylinder, the pistons of the two pairs alternating, means for transmitting force from the rotors to the main shaft, said last named means including countershafts mounted to rotate about axes parallel to but removed from the axis of the main shaft, the rotors being slotted to allow angular movement in respect to the countersha-fts, said countershafts passing through -the slots, and means associated with the countershafts whereby the pistons of one rotor are so constrained as to alternately approach and recede from the pistons of the other, and whereby a pressure of fluid between the pistons may cause the main shaft to rotate.

2. A rotary engine com rising a casing including an annular cylinl er, a main shaft mounted in the casing, a countershaft carrier rigid therewith, countershafts mounted in the carrier, the axes of said shafts being parallel to the axis of the main shaft, the countershafts having at their ends cranks of different lengths and being reversely arranged, rotors Irotatable about the axis of said main shaft, the rotors being slotted to allow relative angular movement in respect 'to the countershafts, each rotor including a pair of pistons, the pistons of the two pairs alternating in the cylinder, said rotors also being slotted substantially radiall to receive one of the sets of cranks, an elliptical tracks carried by the casing', the .other set of cranks coperating with the tracks, whereby the pistons are constrained to alternately approach and recede from each other, and whereby a pressure of fluid between the pistons may cause the main shaft to rotate.

3. A rotary engine comprising a casing including an annular cylinder, a main shaft mounted in the casing, a countershaft carrier rigid therewith,countershafts mounted in the carrier, the axes of said shafts being arallel to the axisI of the main shaft an being spaced from each other substantially 90 about said axis, the countershafts having cranks 'I of differentlengths and being reversely arranged, rotors rotatable about the axis of said main shaft, the rotors being slotted to allow relative angular movement in respect to the countershaft, each rotor including a piston, said rotors also being slotted substantially radially to receive a corresponding crank of a given length, and elliptical tracks carried by the casing, the

' other cranks coperating with the tracks,

whereby the pistons are constrained to alternately approach and recede from each other and whereby apressure of fluid between the pistons may cause the 'main shaft to rotate.

.4. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a main shaft mounted therein, said casing including an annular cylinder, a pair of rotors angularly movable about said main shaft, each of the rotors including a pair of pistons arranged to travel in the cylinder, the pistons of the two pairs alternating, a countershaft carrier between the rotors and rigid with the main shaft, countershafts mounted in said carrier, the axes of the countershafts being parallel to the axis of the main shaft, the casing, countershafts, rotors and carrier being so constructed and arranged that a movement of one of the rotors relatively to the other causes the main shaft to turn.

5. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a main shaft mounted therein, said casing including an annular cylinder, a pair of rotors angularly movable about said main shaft, each of the rotors including a pair of pistons arranged to travel in the cylinder, the pistons of the two pairs alternating, a countershaft carrier between the rotors and rigid with the main shaft, ,countershafts mounted in said carrier, the axes of the countershafts being parallel to the axis of the 4main shaft, the casing, countershafts, rotors and carrier being so constructed and arranged that a movement of one of the rotors relatively to the other causes the main shaft to turn, and a ring loosely mounted on the shaft carrier and interposed between the rotors adjacent the pistons, whereby a direct wearing action of the rotors on each other is avoided.

6. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a main shaft mounted therein, said casing including an annular cylinder, a-pair of 'rotors` angularly movable about said main shaft, each of the rotors including a pair of pistons arranged to travel in the cylinder, they pistons of the two pairs alternating, a countershaft carrier between the rotors and rigid with the main shaft, countershafts mounted in said carrier, the axes of the countershafts being parallel to the axis of the main shaft, and means acting on the countershafts whereby an angular movement of the rotors relatively to one another causes the countershafts to travel bodily about the axis of the main shaft.

7. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a main shaftv mounted therein, said casing including an annular cylinder, a pair of rotors angularly movable about said main shaft, each of the rotors including a pair of pistons arranged to travel in the cylinder, the pistons of the vtwo pairs alternating, a countershaft carrier rigid with the main shaft, countershafts rotatably mounted in said carrier, the .axes of the countershafts being parallel to the axis of the main shaft, the rotors'cbeing slotted and the countershafts passing through the slots whereby the rotors are allowed angular movement in respect to the countershaft carrier, and

means associated with the countershafts' whereby 'an angular movement of the rotors relatively to one another causes the countershafts to travel bodily about the axis of the main shaft to turn said main shaft.

8. A rotary engine comprising a casing. a main shaft rotatable therein, rotors coaxial2 with said shaft, whereby lubricant in vand drawn inwardly toward the axis .of the shaft to insure continuous circulation.

9. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a main shaft rotatable therein, rotors coaxial with said shaft, whereby lubricant in the casing is thrown outwardly between the rotors and the casing as the rotors rotate about thc -axis of the main shaft, and means for thereafter draw-ing the lubricant A inwardly toward the main shaft whereby a continuous circulation is established.

10. A rotary engine comprising al casing including an annular cylinder, 'a main shaft rotatable in the casing, alined rotors cofaxial with said shaft and having pistons thereon located in the cylinder, the rotors having angular movement in respect to each other and being rotatable about theaxis of the main shaft whereby lubricant in the casing is thrown outwardly as the rotors revolve, and means interposedbetween the rotors lwhereby the lubricant is thereafter drawn back toward the axis of the main shaft to insure continuous circulation.

11. A rotary engine comprising a casing including an annular cylinder, a main shaft rotatable` in the casing, alined rotors co.- axial with said shaft and having pistons thereon located in the' cylinder, sealing means between the faces of the rotors and the corresponding faces of the cylinder, they rotors being rotatable about the axis of the main shaft whereby lubricant in the casing is ythrown outwardly along" the sealing means as the rotors revolve, and means for thereafter drawing the lubricant inwardly toward the axis of the main shaft to insure continuousl circulation.

12. A rotary engine comprising a casing' including an annular cylinder, a main shaft rotatable in the casing, alined rotors `coaxial with said shaft and having pistons 'thereon loca-ted 'in the cylinder, sealing means between the faces of the rotors and the corresponding faces of the cylinder, the

rotors being rotatable about the axis ofthe main shaft whereby lubricantin the casing is thrown outwardly along the sealing means as Ithe rotors revolve, and means for creating a suction between the adyacent ends of the rotors whereby the lubricant is there-v .after drawn in toward the axis of the main shaft and whereby the rotors are caused to tend to approach each other.

13. A rotary engine comprising a casing including an annular cylinder, a main shaft rotatable in the casing, alined rotors coaxial with said shaft and having -pistons thereon located in the cylinder, sealing means between the faces of the rotors and lthe corresponding faces of the cylinder, the

rotors being rotatable about the axis of the main shaft whereby lubricant in the casing isl thrown outwardly along 'the sealing means as the rotors revolve, a ring interposed between the rotors and rotatable about the axis of the main shaft, and means for creating suction about said ring whereby the lubricant is drawn in toward the axis of the main shaft.

l 14. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising a casing including an annular cylinder, alined rotors having peripheral flanges projecting to the inner zone of the cylinder, means for sealing, the joints between the flanges and the cylinder, and

,means for drawing lubricant which may bev thrown outv between the rotors and the sealing means Iback toward the axis of the rotors through 'the space between the r-otors, whereby the flanges are cooled by a continuous circulation of lubricant.

' 15. A rotary engine comprising a casing,

a main shaft rotatable therein, rotors coaxial with the shaft and arranged to move angularly in reference to each other about said sha-ft and to rotate about the axis thereof, a countershaft carrier rigid with the shaft, said carrier being interposed'between the rotors, means associated with the countershaft carrier for causing` a relativemovement of the rotors to be transmitted to the main shaft, and a ring loosely mounted on .the countershaft carrier and interposed between the rotors, whereby a direct wearing action of the rotors on each other is avoided.

1.6. Means for sealing the joint between the casing of a rotary engine and an annular surface of va rotor, said means including `an annular ring carrier seated in a groove in the casingand bearing on the rotor, said groove having a surface inclined to the axis l of the rotor, the ring carrier having a sealing ring therein resiliently engaging the in- .clined surface to force the ring carrier against the rotor, the ring carrier also having a groove'therein which with a v rti'on of the inclined surface forms a poc et for gases that may escape past the sealing ring, whereby the pressure of the escaped gases is utilized toforce the ring carrier against the rotor.

17. Means for sealing the .joint lbetween the casing of a rotary engine and an annularsurface of a rotor, said means including an annular element seated in an annular groove in the 'casing and arranged to bear against the rotor, the groove having an inner wall andan outer wall, and the annue lar element having an annular groove therein opening toa wall of the groove in the casing other than the outer wall, wherein oil may collect to prevent the escape of gases past the element.

18. Means for sealing the joint between the casing of a rotary engine and an annular surface of a rotor, said means including an annular element seated in an 'annular groove in the casing and arranged to bear against the rotor, the groove having an inner wall and an outer wall, and the annular element having a groove therein opening to the inner wall of the groove in the casing, wherein oil may collect to prevent the escape of gases past the element. j

19. A rotary engine comprising ,a casing including anfannular cylinder, a pair of alined rotors each having a piston received in the cylinder, means for sealing the joint tors by a pressure substantially radially ofbetween one of the rotors and the piston of the other rotor comprising a pair of elements constructed and arranged to be spread apart longitudinally of the common axis of the rosaid rotors and means for exerting pressure on one of the members substantially radiallyy of said rotors to cause a sealing action.

20. A rotary engine comprising a casing including an annular cylinder, a pair' of rotors each having a piston received in the cylinder, fractional piston rings for the pistons, and means for sealing the joint betweenv the piston rings of one of the rotors and the other rotor, comprising a pair of elements constructed and arranged to be spread apart longitudinally of the common axis of the rotors and against the ends of the piston ring by a pressure substantially radially of said rotors, and resilient means for exertingL ressure on one of the members substantiallyA Lacasse radially of said rotors to cause a sealing action. i

21. A rotory engine comprising a lcasing including an annular cylinder, a rotor having a piston block arranged to travel in the cylinder, piston heads on opposite sides of the block, and means located entirely on the sides of the heads adjacent the block for securing said heads to theblock.

22. A rotary engine comprising a casing including an annular cylinder, a rotor having a piston block arranged to travel in the cylinder, piston heads 'on opposite sides of the block, the blocks having'sockets and the heads having projections received in the sockets, and keys passing transversely through the projections for retaining the yheads on the blocks.

1n the same direction in the -cylinder and arranged to approach and recede from each other in their movement, a closed chamber into which burned gases from a previous charge are swept by the compression of fresh gases in the cylinder as the pistons approach .each other, and means for gradually relieving the pressure in the spark plug chamber through the space to the rear of the front face of the rear piston. l

HOWARD L. WED. 

